Life-saving raft.



No. 818,183. PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

v HLJ. MATSON.

LIFEv SAVING RAFT. APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1905.

- WIT/V NTOH J/Waisom ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT FTQJFJ.

HARRY J. MATSON, or HAVRE, FRANCE.

LIFE-SAVING RAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

Application filed May 17,1905. Serial No. 260,878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. MATSON, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident of Havre, France, have invented a new and Improved Life-Saving Raft, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in rafts or similar floats and which are particularly adapted for use on marine vessels, the object being to provide a life raft or float that will be effective for its purpose, sim le in its construction, and that will be foun equally efficient on being launched either side up.

I will describe a life-saving raft embodyin my invention and then point out the nove features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyin drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan of a life-saving raft or float embodying my invention. Fi 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, andTig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The raft 10 is substantially of rectangular box-like form; and it consists of any suitable materialsuch, for instance, as sheet metal. It has a central chamber 11, which is opened at the top and bottom, and the top and bottom openings have removable closures con sisting of slats 12, resting upon flanges 13, formed at the ends of the chamber 11that is, extended from the walls at the opposite ends of said chamber. The slats are spaced apart, and for convenience in holding them in such spaced relation the ends are widened, as indicated at 14, the widened ends of one slat engaging with the widened ends of the adjacent slats. The slats are held in place by means of locking-bars 15, which are hinged at one end to the raft-body, as indicated at 16, and at the opposite ends'they are provided with loops 17 for receiving locking-pins 18, which pass through clips 19, attached to the raft. By removing the slats 12 that may be uppermost when the raft is launched persons may enter the chamber 11, after which the top slats may be replaced by a person on the outer side of the raft, thus preventing any possible danger of passengers being dislodged from the raft. At the ends of the raft are receptacles 20 for receiving water, food, or the like, and as these rece tacles open outward both at the top and ottom the said outward openings are provided with hermetically-closing covers 21 these covers being hinged to the raft and held in closed positlon by means of thumb-nuts 22,

which engage with bolts 23, extended from the raft through notches in the covers. Between the metal covers 21 and the body of the raft are gaskets 24:, consisting of rubber or other suitable packing material.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A life-raft of substantially rectangular box-like form having a central chamber opening at the top and bottom, flanges extended inward from the end walls of said chamber, slats for resting on said flanges, and securingbars for the slats, the said bars being hinged to the raft at one end and having locking connection with the raft at the opposite end.

2. A life-raft of substantially rectangular box-like form having a central chamber open ing outward at the top and bottom, removable closures .for the openings consisting of slats having widened engaging ends, receptacles arranged in said raft outward of said chamber, the said receptacles opening outward at the top and bottom, and closures for the outward openings of said receptacles.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY J. MATSON.

Witnesses:

JNo. M. BITTER, SYLVANUS H. Conn 

